You’d think The Marvels would have enough going for it, what with bringing together characters from Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, WandaVision, and Secret Invasion (OK, maybe not the last one), but apparently a triple crossover just doesn’t cut it for overstuffed MCU fans anymore. Unfortunately, box office projections for the Brie Larson sequel are looking a little shrimpy, to quote the actress herself, and there’s a little bit of a general apathy swirling around the film as we race towards its release.
Enter a recent promo, then, which drops the bombshell that Carol Danvers will “call in a friend” in order to give herself, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau some much-needed backup. Although the teaser reveals a beam of the Bifrost’s skittle-colored light blasting her ship, we don’t yet know which character — presumably one of the buddies she made on Earth in Avengers: Endgame — will turn up. So, which Avenger could assemble with the Marvels? Here are a few that would really turn the film’s fortunes around.
Howard the Duck
What do you mean, Howard the Duck isn’t an Avenger? Excuse me, the cosmic canard fought in the Battle of Earth, thank you very much! Clearly, Howard packs more of a punch in his feathered fists than we have hitherto been aware of, so having him drop by The Marvels to be the trio’s unexpected secret weapon in their battle against Dar-Benn would be the perfect way to reveal what makes this ducky so lucky. And if it could somehow make Howard and Darcy’s What If…? marriage canon that would be the icing on the cake.
Hulk
Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers didn’t share a whole lot of time together in Endgame, but clearly they must’ve stayed in touch afterward as the pair are both present in Shang-Chi‘s post-credits scene, in which they offer their two-cents on the origins of the Ten Rings. The pair are probably pals at this point, then, and calling in the Green Goliath would certainly be a smart move. He could even bring his son, Skarr, along for some father/son bonding/beating up bad guys time.
Thor
Alright, let’s get the most obvious one out of the way. Yes, as soon as we saw the Bifrost, we all immediately thought of Thor. And, you know what, Carol turning to the God of Thunder for help isn’t all that crazy, as the Asgardian hero took an immediate likely to Cappy Marvs when she didn’t even blink at Stormbreaker flying past her face. Having Chris Hemsworth return so soon after Thor: Love and Thunder would be a great way to make up for the disappointment of that four-quel.
Valkyrie
Honestly, though, the Asgardian who we should more realistically anticipate showing up in The Marvels is Valkyrie. Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson are IRL buds and have been stoking the flames of a Carol/Val (Varol?) friendship on social media for years now. The initial burning desire to see the duo come together — either romantically or otherwise — might’ve faded a little at this point, but Valkyrie becoming an honorary fourth member of the Marvels would probably make the most sense, for both off-screen and on-screen reasons.
Jessica Jones
Yes, Jessica Jones is a Defender in the MCU, but she is an Avenger in the comics, so let me have this one, OK? It just so happens that Carol and Jessica are best friends in the source material, and with Daredevil’s return making the Defenders canon, how about bringing that unlikely partnership to the screen? Having Krysten Ritter’s acerbic private eye in space would be a sight to behold and Jess getting her own epic big-screen entrance would make up for the Defenders getting snubbed in Endgame‘s portal scene. Charlie Cox got his moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home; now Jess deserves the same.